Centerboard for sailboats

ABSTRACT

A centerboard for a sailboat is pivotally mounted on a handle member which normally rests upon the upper end of the centerboard well. The centerboard is movable between the normal vertical position and a generally horizontal position and is retained in such positions by a detent means which allows the centerboard to pivot rearwardly toward its horizontal position upon striking an object in the water. The centerboard is returned to its vertical position by its engagement with a portion of the centerboard well when the handle is lifted vertically out of the well, whereupon the centerboard may be reinserted into the well. The detent means may be manually released to allow the drag on the centerboard to pivot it to an intermediate position and the reengaged to hold the centerboard in such position.

United States Patent 11 1 Hackett 11] 3,756,182 51 Sept. 4, 1973 CENTERBOARD FOR SAILBOATS [76] Inventor: Richard L. Hackett, Lincoln PL,

Petoskey, Mich. 49770 [22] Filed: July 6, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 159,803

Danko 114/138 Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant ExaminerS. D. Basinger Attorney-L. Gaylord Hulbert et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A centerboard for a sailboat is pivotally mounted on a handle member which normaily rests upon the upper end of the centerboard well. The centerboard is movable between the normal vertical position and a generally horizontal position and is retained in such positions by a detent means which allows the centerboard to pivot rearwardly toward itshorizzontal position upon striking an object in the water. The centerboard is returned to its vertical position by its engagement with a portion of the centerboard well when the handle is lifted vertically out of the well, whereupon the centerboard may be reinserted into the well. The detent means may be manually released to allow the drag on the centerboard to pivot it to an intermediate position and the reengaged to hold the centerboard in such position.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CENTERBOARD FOR SAILBOATS Some sailboats, particularly smaller types, are provided with removable centerboards, sometimes referred to as dagger boards, which extend downwardly through a well in the deck of the boat. Since sailboats of this type are frequently sailed in shallow water, it is desirable to provide a pivotal mounting for the centerboard which will allow the same to pivot upwardly upon striking an obstruction so as to prevent damage to the centerboard. A centerboard construction of this general type is shown in US. Pat. No. 2,991,741, issued July 11, 1961.

According to the present invention, the centerboard is pivotally mounted on and extends downwardly from a handle member which is normally positioned over the opening at the upper end of the centerboard well. A spring-urged detent means associated with the handle member is engageable with the centerboard and yieldably maintains the same in a vertical position. Upon striking an obstruction in the water, the centerboard pivots upwardly toward a generally horizontal position to prevent damage thereto. An arcuate surface on the centerboard is provided with two or more recesses engageable by the spring-urged detent to yieldably retain the centerboard in either its vertical or .horizontal position or one or more intermediate positions. A release mechanism associated with the handle is provided for withdrawing the detent pin from one of the recesses in the centerboard to allow the same to pivot upwardly to an intermediate position due to the drag of the water through which the boat moves, whereupon the detent may engage one of the intermediate recesses to allow sailing of the boat with the centerboard yieldably re tained in its horizontal or an intermediate position, which is desirable to reduce drag when sailing under certain conditions. The centerboard may be returned to its normal vertical position from the horizontal or any intermediate position by lifting upwardly on the handle member with the detent pin withdrawn, whereupon the centerboard engages a surface or a portion of the centerboard well to pivot the centerboard back to its vertical position. The detent then is allowed to enter the notch in the centerboard corresponding to the normal vertical position thereof, and the handle and centerboard assembly are then reinserted downwardly to their normal position in the well.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a. sailboat illustrating the centerboard of this invention positioned within the centerboard well for normal sailing conditions;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG..1 but illustrating the centerboard in its generally horizontal position; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. I.

A sailboat indicated generally at includes a hull 12, a deck 14, and a centerboard well indicated generally at 16 which includes a slot 18 in the longitudinal center line of the boat and extending downwardly from the deck 14 through the hull 12. The hull 12 has an upwardly recessed portion 20 extending rearwardly from the well 16.

A centerboard 22 is pivoted by means of a pin 24 to the lower end of a handle member 26. The handle member 26 includes a body portion 28 having a width and length slightly less than the corresponding dimensions of the slot defining the centerboard well 16 and at its lower end is bifurcated to provide an arcuate slot 30 defined by the opposing sides 32 and 34 between which the upper end of the centerboard 22 is pivotally mounted. The upper end 36 of the centerboard 22 is circular to conform to the shape of the slot 30 in the body portion 28 of the handle member 26. A shoulder 38 at the forward end of the arcuate surface 36 of the centerboard is engageable with a stop shoulder 40 on the handle member, 26 to limit pivotal movement of the centerboard downwardly to the vertical position shown in FIG. 1.

The handle member 26 includes a handle grip portion 42 having a flange 44 adapted to engage the deck 14 around the well 18. The body portion 28 of the handle member is provided with a vertically extending opening through which a detent pin 46 extends. The pin 46 is bent rearwardly at its upper end and is disposed within an opening 48 in the handle portion 42. The lower end of the detent pin 46 carries a retaining washer 50, and a spring 52 is confined between the washer 50 and the upper end of a recess 54 in the body portion 28 to continually urge the detent pin 46 downwardly. The rounded lower end 56 of the detent pin is engageable with any of the notches 58, 60 or 62 formed in the arcuate surface 36 of the centerboard 22.

In the event that the centerboard 22 should strike an obstruction, the centerboard will pivot rearwardly and upwardly, thereby lifting the detent pin 46 from the recess 58 which defines the normal vertical position of the centerboard. The spring-urged detent pin 46 will reengage the notch 60 or 62 as the centerboard pivots toward its horizontal position, depending upon the force with which the centerboard is pivoted upwardly.

FIG. 2 shows the centerboard in its horizontal position, and in order to return the same to its normal vertical position the handle portion 42 may be gripped and at the same time the rearwardly extending portion 64 of the detent pin will be lifted upwardly to withdraw the detent from the notch 62 in the centerboard. As the handle member 26 is lifted vertically, the portion 66 of the well structure will cause the centerboard to be pivoted back toward its vertical position, and after the vertical position is reached the detent pin 46 may be allowed to reenter the notch 58 in the centerboard and the handle and centerboard then reinserted downwardly through the well to the normal position shown in FIG. 1.

It will be apparent that the construction of the centerboard described herein is useful not only to prevent damage to the centerboard upon striking an obstruction, but may also be employed towallow sailing with. the centerboard in an intermediate position to reduce drag under certain sailing conditions. This may be accomplished by merely raising the detent pin 46 to allow the drag on the centerboard caused by its motion through the water to pivot the same upwardly and then releasing the detent pin to allow it to engage the intermediate notch 60. It will be apparent that the board may be returned to its vertical position in the same manner previously described. It is also contemplated that two or more intermediate notches 60 may be provided to allow positioning of the board in the optimum position to meet various sailing conditions.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a sailboat having a centerboard well, a centerboard structure including a handle member having. a depending lower end extending downwardly into said well, a centerboard pivotally secured to the lower end of said handle member and movable between a vertical position and a generally horizontal position, said handle member and said centerboard being insertable and removable as a unit through said well when said centerboard is in its vertical position, detent means between said handle member and said centerboard for releasably holding said centerboard in said vertical position and adapted to allow said centerboard to pivot toward its horizontal position upon striking an obstruction, said centerboard when in said horizontal position being engageable with a portion of said well so as to be pivoted back to its vertical position by lifting said handle upwardly from said well whereby said handle and centerboard may be reinserted into said well for normal operation of said centerboard in its vertical position, said detent means comprising a pin reciprocably mounted on said handle member'and a notch on said centerboard engageable by said pin, and spring means urging said pin into engagement with said centerboard.

2. A sailboat according to claim 1, said pin having one end thereof extending upwardly through said handle member and accessible for manual withdrawal of said pin from said notch without removal of said handle member from said well.

3. A sailboat according to claim 1, said detent means comprising a pin reciprocably mounted on said handle member and a plurality of notches on said centerboard, spring means urging said pin toward said centerboard for engagement in one of said notches, one of said notches defining the vertical position of said centerboard and another defining a generall horizontal position thereof.

4. A sailboat according to claim 3, said pin having one end thereof extending upwardly through said handle member and accessible for manual withdrawal of said pin from said notches without removal of said handle member from said well.

5. A sailboat according to claim 4, wherein a third one of said notches defines a position of said centerboard intermediate said vertical and horizontal positions.

6. A sailboat according to claim 4 wherein said handle member has a grip portion above said well and said one end of said pin has a laterally bent portion associated with said grip portion whereby said pin may be withdrawn from a notch as said handle member is lifted from said well. 

1. In a sailboat having a centerboard well, a centerboard structure including a handle member having a depending lower end extending downwardLy into said well, a centerboard pivotally secured to the lower end of said handle member and movable between a vertical position and a generally horizontal position, said handle member and said centerboard being insertable and removable as a unit through said well when said centerboard is in its vertical position, detent means between said handle member and said centerboard for releasably holding said centerboard in said vertical position and adapted to allow said centerboard to pivot toward its horizontal position upon striking an obstruction, said centerboard when in said horizontal position being engageable with a portion of said well so as to be pivoted back to its vertical position by lifting said handle upwardly from said well whereby said handle and centerboard may be reinserted into said well for normal operation of said centerboard in its vertical position, said detent means comprising a pin reciprocably mounted on said handle member and a notch on said centerboard engageable by said pin, and spring means urging said pin into engagement with said centerboard.
 2. A sailboat according to claim 1, said pin having one end thereof extending upwardly through said handle member and accessible for manual withdrawal of said pin from said notch without removal of said handle member from said well.
 3. A sailboat according to claim 1, said detent means comprising a pin reciprocably mounted on said handle member and a plurality of notches on said centerboard, spring means urging said pin toward said centerboard for engagement in one of said notches, one of said notches defining the vertical position of said centerboard and another defining a generall horizontal position thereof.
 4. A sailboat according to claim 3, said pin having one end thereof extending upwardly through said handle member and accessible for manual withdrawal of said pin from said notches without removal of said handle member from said well.
 5. A sailboat according to claim 4, wherein a third one of said notches defines a position of said centerboard intermediate said vertical and horizontal positions.
 6. a sailboat according to claim 4 wherein said handle member has a grip portion above said well and said one end of said pin has a laterally bent portion associated with said grip portion whereby said pin may be withdrawn from a notch as said handle member is lifted from said well. 